Opposition hits out at Smriti Irani over 'which gay man has menstrual cycle' remark: 'LGBTQIA+ is not gay men alone'
ANI on Thursday, Smriti Irani was asked about the criticism she faced over her "menstruation not handicap" remark in Parliament last week. Irani said one of the questions asked to her in Parliament was about the LGBTQIA+ community.
A question from MP Manoj Kumar Jha read: "Whether the policy contains provisions to promote and provide for menstrual hygiene among the LGBTQIA+ community." ALSO READ: Smriti Irani takes jibe at Arvind Kejriwal, says ‘he sent half of his cabinet to jail, no guarantee on..’ While taking a dig at Jha for asking this question, Irani said in the interview, "Which gay men have a menstrual cycle?...Why would you ask me a question about providing menstrual hygiene for gay men". This statement by Irani also drew criticism from a few Opposition leaders.
Apart from Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress leaders Supriya Shrinate said in a post on X, "LGBTQIA+ is NOT gay men alone, the community includes men and several menstruating women." Shrinate tweeted, "Minister Smriti Irani your apathy, arrogance and ignorance are appalling...Instead of voicing manufactured outrage spend some time and educate yourself on the issue." Smriti Irani had earlier advocated against ‘paid menstruation leave and said that menstruation is not a "handicap" and therefore does not warrant a “paid leave policy". The minister had said in Parliament, "As a menstruating woman, menstruation and the menstruation cycle is not a handicap, it’s a natural part of women’s life journey...We should not propose issues where women are denied equal opportunities just because somebody who does not menstruate has a particular viewpoint towards menstruation."Milestone Alert!
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